“Uncle, Xian’er has been kind to me in her own way. If there’s anything you need help with, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my utmost to assist her!”
Several minutes later, Xiao Yufan finally made up his mind. To hell with the hidden Huangpu family, and to hell with the hidden Tan family too. It seemed he had already boarded the bandit ship, and there was no getting off now.
“That sounds more like something a real man would say. I like that. The grandson of the Silver Fox is indeed an extraordinary young man!”
Huangpu Hanyue nodded in satisfaction, his smile genuine rather than feigned. Suddenly, Xiao Yufan felt as though he had been tricked. Even more surprisingly, Xian’er’s father actually knew his grandfather.
“You know my grandfather?”
“Throughout the entire hidden aristocratic families and the ancient martial arts world, who hasn’t heard of the Silver Fox? It’s not that strange for me to know him, right?”
At this moment, Huangpu Hanyue was clearly delighted. If Xiao Yufan truly ended up with Huangpu Xian’er, it would not only free his daughter from family manipulation but also improve relations with Situ Lingyu—an ideal two-birds-with-one-stone scenario.
“Wow, it seems my grandpa is actually quite formidable. How come I never realized this before?”
Upon hearing Huangpu Hanyue’s words, Xiao Yufan first showed hesitation, then his face lit up with excitement. If his grandfather was truly as powerful as this man claimed, he must be a figure of incredible might.
“It seems there’s a lot you don’t know yet. But that’s probably for the best. You’re not quite at the level to understand everything yet.”
Seeing Xiao Yufan’s astonishment, Huangpu Hanyue didn’t elaborate further. Though Xiao Yufan was already an exceptionally strong young martial artist among his generation, he still wouldn’t be taken seriously in front of true experts.
“I think it’s better to learn things gradually, don’t you think?”
Everything Xiao Yufan knew about the hidden aristocratic families and the revival of ancient martial arts had come from his grandfather. Yet all of it seemed so sudden to him, so to avoid more shocks to his fragile heart, he decided it was better to learn things slowly.
“You’re absolutely right. After all, your current strength still has a long way to go.”
“Still has a long way to go?” Xiao Yufan could only purse his lips. To this middle-aged man, being a mid-stage Qi-condensing expert was still considered “not quite there yet”—what high standards!
“All that will come in time. Right now, let’s focus on what concerns Xian’er.”
“If there’s any trouble, Uncle, just tell me directly. I’ve already said I’ll help, and a true gentleman stands by his word—his promise cannot be retracted even if sealed with four galloping horses…”
Seeing Huangpu Hanyue hesitate slightly, Xiao Yufan responded calmly. Whatever needed to be done, he was willing to help Xian’er. Of course, this didn’t mean he accepted her feelings, since nothing had really happened between them yet.
“I think you probably understand that the reason Xian’er approached you initially was just to escape the family’s manipulation…”
“Yeah, I know.”
A bitter smile surfaced on Xiao Yufan’s lips. Although he had no romantic feelings for Huangpu Xian’er, hearing that she had only approached him to escape family control stirred an inexplicable ache in his heart.
“You don’t know a thing. If at first her motives were purely that, now they’re not. You can feel it too, can’t you? Xian’er has truly fallen for you!”
Huangpu Hanyue looked at Xiao Yufan for a while, unable to find any particularly outstanding traits. Aside from his extraordinary talent and background, he didn’t seem to have any other remarkable qualities. Yet just these two traits were enough to make him stand above others.
“Uncle, can we leave this subject for now? I just want to know how I can help Xian’er.”
Xiao Yufan smiled helplessly, feeling a sudden headache. Yet as he thought of that flawless beauty as radiant as the full moon, his heart still trembled. Perhaps this woman had already begun to enter his world, bit by bit.
The hidden Tan family desires to become the dominant force during the revival of ancient martial arts. However, their power is insufficient to command all hidden aristocratic families, which is why they’ve turned their attention to our Huangpu family.
The Tan family seeks an alliance through marriage, wanting Xian’er to become a Tan, thus serving as a bridge between the two great hidden families.
But how could Xian’er allow herself to be manipulated? So when the Tan family proposed their terms, she left the Huangpu family. However, now the Tan family seems to have lost their patience—they insist Xian’er must become a Tan woman.
But this foolish girl actually thought of using her own purity to destroy this marriage arrangement.
Among the Huangpu family, there is a strict rule: before marriage, no man may touch a Huangpu woman. And any man who dares to do so faces only two possible outcomes…
Upon hearing Huangpu Hanyue’s words, Xiao Yufan gulped hard, his heart skipping a beat. He had merely touched Xian’er once—did that count as ruining her purity? What a ridiculous rule.
“What are the two outcomes?” Xiao Yufan cautiously asked. He needed to understand how to handle this properly.
“One, you become the son-in-law of the hidden Huangpu family. Two, you die!”
The voice carried no emotion, making Xiao Yufan feel a chill run through his limbs. At least the first option was acceptable—but did he really want to become the Huangpu family’s son-in-law?
“Is there no other way?” Xiao Yufan didn’t know why he was resisting, but he couldn’t help asking.
“Do you really think there’s another way? Do you think the Huangpu family brought you here just for your recovery? The elders only care about what you’re about to do next!”
Huangpu Hanyue replied with a bitter smile. It seemed Xiao Yufan truly didn’t understand the family rules. If that was the case, he might as well explain them clearly.
“There’s something specific they expect me to do?”
“There are many elders in the family who support the Tan faction. They would rather see Xian’er marry into the hidden Tan family, improving relations and possibly elevating the hidden Huangpu family to an even higher level.”
“But they also know the ancient rules set by our ancestors. Therefore, they don’t want to pressure Xian’er directly. However, they do expect you to accomplish something. Once you complete this task, even if those elders want to cause trouble, they will have to delay Xian’er’s matter.”
“It must be a very difficult task,” Xiao Yufan said, looking into Huangpu Hanyue’s eyes. He shivered involuntarily—why did he suddenly have a bad feeling about this?
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